Electric fuse or cut-out.



1%,853396. PATENTED MAY 14, 1907.

' L. B.. BUCHANAN.

ELECTRIC FUSE OR GUT-OUT.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 22.1904.

Z/z'izzesses;

UNITED STATES "PATENT OFFICE.

incident. nuonaivaufoh WOBURN, MASSACHUSETTS.

EL (r t-no FUSE 0R cuT-ouT..

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, LEONARD B. Boon- ANAN, of lVoburn, county of Middlesex, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Electric Fuses or-Cut-Outs, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings repre senting like parts.

This invention relates to electricfuses or cut-outs, and particularly to that type of in closed fuses which are adapted, when the fuse wire is fused, to indicate the disrupted condition of the fuse wire, and the invention has for its object to provide a fuse of this class with means which will not only visually indi cate the disrupted condition of the fuse wire, but which will also enable the disrupted condition of the fuse wire to be ascertained by simply feeling of the casing. This object is accomplished, in a general way, by providing a spring acting finger, which is held under tension by the fuse, Wire andwhich will move beyond the surface of the casing when the fuse wire is disrupted.

Figure 1 shows inside elevation an inclosed fuse or cut-out embodying this invention. Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal section of the fuse shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an enlarged section of the fuse taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig.4 is a similar view showing the parts. in a difierent position. Fig. 5 shows, in elevation, and partly in central longitudinal section, a modified form of my invention, Fig. 6 is a section of the fuse taken on the line 66 of Fig. 5, and, Fig. 7 is another modified form of my invention to be referred to.

Referring to Fi s. 1 to. 4, 0, indicates the usual cylindrical s-1ell or casing having caps a on each end thereof. The shell or casing a is of suitable insulating material, and the caps a are of metal, preferably copper, and

constitute the terminals of the fuse. A fuse .wire I) is centrally arranged in the casing and embedded'in a non-conducting filling, such as magnesiafor gypsum, and the ends of said wire are soldered to the terminal caps a. A shunt fuse wire e is also provided in the casing and is arranged adjacent the casing walls mally straight or with its ends attachedto the caps a. A nornearly straight indicating spring acting finger d is secured at one end to the casing, as for instance; the inner end of one of the caps 0/, is notched, as shown at (L to provide a recess in which said finger. may be located, and one end of the finger is passed 7 Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 22,1904. Serial No. 221,629.

Patented May 14, 1907.

beneath the cap, at the end of said recess and held by said cap against the casing. of wire is secured to the opposite or free end of said finger. Before both ends of the shunt wire 0 are connected to the caps the spring acting finger d is pressed down, being bent about the casing, so that it lies nearly flush with the end of the cap, and the loop f thereon is passed through a small aperture 0 in the casing, and the shunt wire 6 is passed through the end of said'loop within the easing. The shunt wire 6 thus holds the finger 'down against-the casing and when in' this position said finger closes the aperture 0. as shown in Fig. 3, and as said finger, when in this position, nearly fills .the notch a the presence of said finger is. scarqely noticeable. WVhen the shunt wire e is disrupted it will no longer hold down the finger in the positionshown in Fig. 3, but said spring will be released and will straighten out and assume the A loop f position shown in Fig. 4, thus indicating the disrupted condition of the fuse wire. In Figs. 5 and 6, the shunt fuse wire e is sented at f omitted, and the loop on eating finger is therethrough and acts to hold down the indicating finger against the casing in the n1anher before described. The operation in this instance is, obviously, the same as that already described. The movement of the spring to the position shown in Fig. 4, not only makes it perfectly apparent to the eye that the fusewire has been disrupted, but the device was situated seen, or could only be felt with the hand,-the condition of the fuse wire could nevertheless be readily ascertained.

Referring to Fig. 7, the shunt wire 0 ex-' tends out throughthe aperture a and may have a loop at its extremity, and the indicating finger will be attached at one end to the casing and electrically connected with one of the end ofthe indimade longer being repreand the fuse wire I; is passed where it could not be loo the terminal caps, and at the other end will extend through the loop, or will be otherwise connected to ,said shunt wire 6. In this instance but one end of the shunt wire will be a connected with the terminal.

Having described my invention what I clainias new and desire to secure by Letters Patentis;

1. In an inclosed fuse or cut-out, a cylindrical casing having an aperture through the side thereof, a pair of terminal caps closing the ends of said casing, one of said caps havrib ing at notch in its edge, a fuse wire connected zLL its ends to said caps, an indicating spring.

having one end held between said casing an the notched cup, and a. holding'wire connected to the other end of said spring which passes tlu-ough said aperture and encircles said fuse wire and acts to hold said s ring under tension in said notch, substantia 1y as described.

In an inclosed fuse, a casing having end caps, one of which is notched, 'a. fuse-wire indicator on the outside of the casing which is contained'in the notch of the end cap, and means extending through a hole in the casing for connecting said indicator with the fusewire, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

. LEONARD B. BUCHANAN. Witnesses:

B. J. NOYES,

L. H. HARRIMAN. 

